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Team-BHP> Buckle Up> Street and Travel Experiences> TraveloguesThe XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh Ladakh! Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso
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The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh Ladakh! Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso
MoririThis is a discussion on The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh Ladakh! Turtuk, Pangong Tso,
Hanle and Tso Moririwithin Travelogues, part of t he Street and Travel Experiences
category; It was sometime in 2011 when myself and few of my friends were in Kodaikanal
and an ambitious plan to ...
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13th September
2013, 18:38#1
Sathya_scBHPian
Join Date: Apr2007Location:ChennaiPosts: 500Thanked: 448Times
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The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh Ladakh! Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Moriri
It was sometime in 2011 when myself and few of my friends were in Kodaikanal and an ambitious plan to visit Leh-
Ladakh in our beloved cars from Chennai was seeded. Initially it sounded like a crazy plan because of the distance
involved; travelling from down south - TamilNadu to the northern most tip of India seemed rather too optimistic. But, in
my mind, the words Leh-Ladakh were constantly lingering and even deprived me of sleep for a few days. On that week
end, I had a casual chat with my wife on this trip and the excitement spread like a virus from me to my better half. She
was also very interested, but the question was- How do we do this in a Linea T-Jet c onsidering the fac t petrol pricesincrease every night!
Days and months passed, and when it was June 2012, a new member came to my family and it was the XUV which will
be henceforth called The HAWK. The thought oftravelling across the length of the country was continuously going on
in my mind and with the Hawk it looked like a possibility. By then, I knew the terrain was bad and tough, and at a high-
level, felt, the Hawk can do it since it is an SUV (atleast it was called that way!!). With the vehicle finalized, the
discussions started at the office for a three week vacat ion and it was agreed finally.
When all of this was falling in place, I had one year of time left for planning, finalizing the dates, routes etc., Being a
S/W project manager by profession, the concept of project planning, strategizing and execution was applied even in this
case and truly it helped (crazy isnt??). I created a quick and dirty excel sheet with the list of items to be planned for
this trip. By then, got the acquaintance of Mr.HVK, the human Indian GPS, and resonated my thoughts of going to Leh
from Chennai by road. HVK quickly acknowledged the trip and gave some tit-bits which helped the planning phase.
Every day, I used to spend atleast an hr or so on the right season to visit Leh given the fact I have to cross multiple
states across the country; monsoons in Mumbai, Dry weather in Rajasthan, Rains in J & K, winter in Leh and so on. The
time was tentatively finalized as August or early September. Read about Zojila and Rohtang La and just reading aboutthem gave so much high. The more and more I read, I understood the toughness of the terrain and the possibility of my
Hawk getting stuck in slush and mud in a no mans land gave jitters down the spine. But the impending challenge excited
me even more and kindled the fire in me to do this trip at any cost.
With numerous versions and iterations of the itinerary excel sheet, the dates were finalized as 21st August till 13th
September, 2013. I socialized the plan with HVK to find that the plan was too relaxed; but in my mind, I wanted to
remember every km of this trip and wanted it to be slightly relaxed. I was not too keen in driving more than 12 hrs a day
(maximum cut off being 15hrs).
A special thanks to HVK sir and his team (Gautam Basak) who helped us every minute and who were travelling virtually
with us every moment. Without HVKs help, this trip would have been only a dream for us. No words from my side are
enough, to show the gratitude that I owe you sir. Hats off to you!! You are t ruly an asset to the Indian Travel
community.
With all this happening, the question of what I must be doing in Leh also was going on. Initially self and my wife decided
to do the ordinary Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri. Then after reading Tanveers thread, decided to add a few morecircuits where only crazy travelers venture out Turtuk, Chushul and Tsaga La route to Hanle.
Thanks a ton Tanveer Your thread is just mind blowing and an eye opener. I felt like I was in Leh when I read your
thread.
With all this happening at the back ground, the places were finalized Ascent via Srinagar; visit Leh, Turtuk, Pangong,
Hanle (specifically via the Chushul and Tsaga La) and Tso Moriri; Descent via Manali. Now, my wife wanted to see the
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The XUV Face-Off_ Chennai to Leh Ladakh! 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Taj Mahal and the route plan was slightly modified to accommodate Agra.
Was convinced with the plan and the level of information that aided in the decision making process. I was Ok to take
risks but with sufficient information and data. So by April, 13, the routes were finalized, and a check list was prepared
on what are the things that I must buy for the car, and our 20 day nomadic living. But there was one problem, the
question as to whether to take my daughter along or not, was continuously debated and finally the plan to take her
along with us was turned down due to high altitude (stay at Pangong, Hanle and Moriri back to back) and because of
the weather predictions stating that the temperatures will dip sub-zero by Sep 1st week.
Numerous shopping visits were done and all the necessary items were purchased. When all of this were completed, it
was just a month away to the actual trip and the count down began. Every minute was like an hr and every day was
like a year until it was August 21st felt like I am going to achieve something in life, being passionate about driving, like
all other BHP-ians.
The day came August 21st evening when the first leg of our nomadic travel to Leh-Ladakh began. It was me, my
better half and the Hawk waiting to explore.
Day 1: 21-08-2013: Chennai to Tumkur:
With a heavy heart to leave my young daughter behind (she is 5yrs now), the trip started by 5PM. There was a clear
silence for the first 30 mins. of travel with myself and my wife thinking about the next 10000kms and the need to
complete this trip without a hitch. I could hear my elevated heart beat but not lup-tup this time it was beating
Leh Ladakh!!
Soon we were on the Bangalore highway and by 10PM we were in Bangalore. No issues with the route, but there was
sporadic but heavy rainfall enroute. I was thinking, did I plan this trip early should I have started by September, so
that I could have avoided heavy rains?? For some reason, there was too much silence, between myself and my wife;
the thought of whether we are doing a crazy thing in life must have been going strong in our minds.
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By 11.30PM we were in Tumkur; checked in to hotel and had a very disturbed sleep may be the excitement about the
rest of the 9500kms were running too strong. Slept for about 4-5 hrs before I could feel the sun strong through the
windows. It was time to head towards Mumbai.
Day 2: 22-08-2013: Tumkur to Mumbai (Thane):
Felt better in the morning after a shower and started the Hawk. The roads were empty and my speedo was reading
120km/hr constantly. After a few hundred kms, when we were heading towards Hubli, the rain God was too happy I
guess, it started pouring like no-mans business. Visibility went down to near zero and slowed us drastically and I
became very jittery because we were losing time. But my wife slowly said Dont get upset because of the rains.. Let
us enjoy it and face whatever comes by the way.. Aft er all we have chosen to do this and we will stand all odds that
we might encounter. The words were soothing and the rains that were seen as a nuisance t o the t rip changed tosomething enjoyable. We were slow, enjoying the monsoon and had multiple pit stops for photography since the
weather, the greens around were just great. By 6PM we were in Pune. At about 8PM we exited the Mumbai Pune
expressway to head towards Mumbai. Now the nighmare started the deadly Mumbai traffic.
The traffic was insane, and it took solid 3 hrs to cross the traffic and head towards the hotel where we were booked (in
Thane). Had the pleasure of sharing the dinner with HVK sir and went to bed by 12.30AM. Had a peaceful sleep, may be
because we were too tired and it was 8am when we woke up on 23rd August to continue our journey towards
Rajasthan.
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Day 3: 23-08-2013: Mumbai to Chittorgarh:
Got up at 8AM, had superb Poha as breakfast and started the Journey towards Rajasthan. It was bright and sunny
throughout the day. We crossed Ankleshwar by 1PM and exited the Vadodara Ahmedabad expressway by 4PM. This
included a lunch break of 45 mins. and multiple pit stops for photography sessions. We crossed Himmatnagar and then
proceeded towards Udaipur. By about 6PM the rains started again and went on and on until about 10PM. By then, Ihave got used to the rains and took it with ease.
Reached Udaipur bypass by 8PM and proceeded towards Chittorgarh and reached there by 10PM. Checked-in to the
hotel and rushed for dinner. Had Dal, Spicy Bhindi, curd and pappads.. Yummy, the food was. Crashed by 11.30PM.
By now, without us realizing, we were consistently hitting the threshold of 11PM every day and 13-15 hrs of driving
daily. But the good part was, we were ok and not too tired. But, fatigue was definitely there.
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Day 4: 24-08-2013: Chittorgarh to Abohar (Punjab):
We got up by 8am, had our breakfast in the hotel where we stayed. Meanwhile, the Hawk was too dirty and badly
needed a shower. Spoke to a few folks in the hotel to give my Hawk a clean wash and paid them Rs.100 each. By
9.30am we were out in the Rajasthan Highway. One word to explain the highway Awesome. Was doing some goodtriple digit speeds (cruising). There was sporadic rainfall here and there. This time, the rains were seen like a routine.
Looked like, we would have been upset, if there were no rains. One thing that took me by surprise was, Rajasthan was
too green than what I had thought. It was just too good and scenic.
By 1PM, we were at the Bathinda highway proceeding towards Kishangarh. By 6PM, I was in Hanumangarh. The actual
plan was to halt at Hanumangarh, but both of us felt that we can drive for another 2hrs atleast. So we decided to
proceed towards Punjab and stay at Abohar, very close to the Rajasthan Punjab state borders. We reached Abohar by
8PM, checked in to the hotel, had dinner and went to bed by 10PM. The best part was, for the first time in the last 4
days, we slept early by our standards.
One thing that scared us enroute was while we were in the Rajasthan highway, unknowingly I crash landed the Hawk
in a moon crater that came from no-where in the highway. The vehicle created a huge thud noise; with a bated breath
stopped the vehicle, inspected the wheel (front right) which crashed into the pothole and did not find anything
alarming. The moment, the Hawk crash landed into that pothole, the only thing that came into the mind was the
remaining 7000kms to be completed. However, luck favored us and we proceeded further without any issues.
Day 5: 25-08-2013: Abohar Amritsar Jammu:
It was 6AM in the morning and the alarm in my phone woke me up and hurray it was my Birthday and I was turning
thirty. The plan was to visit the holy Golden Temple at Amritsar and then proceed towards Pathankot for a night halt.
Started from Abohar by 7.30AM in the morning and it was a peaceful drive to Amritsar. Punjab was awesome with
greens everywhere. What an experience it was. By noon, we were in Amritsar and visited the Golden temple. After the
visit, called one of the friends of HVK sir COLONEL ZAHL TANTRA from Indian army and got an update that the
Amritsar Pathankot road was almost non-existent. So, there was a change in plan to go through Jalandhar through the
HN1 (Grand Trunk Highway) and then proceed towards Pathankot. This route was chosen even though we had to travel
80kms more. But thanks to Zahl sir, the roads were good and in no time we were in Jalandhar and then progressed
towards Pathankot. Met Zahl sir at Pathankot and spent some time discussing about Leh. It was a great experience to
be inside an Army regiment speaking to a dignified officer. From Pathankot, we proceeded towards Jammu since it was
only 5PM and we were good for another atleast 3 hrs of drive. But HVK suggested to stay put at Jammu since the next
town after Jammu (Udampur) would take atleast 3 hrs to reach from Jammu. So we halted at Jammu and it was actually
the right decision.
Day 6: 26-08-2013: Jammu Srinagar:
We woke up early and the tiredness faded away after we started the drive through the curvy mountains and here
begins the Ghats. We were told that after Jammu, it is ghats, ghats and ghats until we hit Chandigarh in our return
journey.
We were in Udampur by 9AM, and by 11AM at Ramban and by 4PM at Srinagar. I got very excited to drive in Ghats and
maintained some good speeds enroute. There were thousands of army trucks that were plying in that route and the
right of way is for them. But, did not feel the pinch of slowing down because of traffic.
At Srinagar, checked it at the House Boat at the Nageen / Dal Lake and took a Shikara ride for 1hr 30 mins. in the
beautiful lake. Was mesmerized by the beauty of the Dal lake and truly the place deserves to be called a paradise on
earth. Missed my daughter very much, when we were doing the Shikara ride. Took a lot of photographs and the day
ended very well with a good sleep in the house boat.
Next day, the Hawk will face-off with the Mighty Zojila and my heart was beating high after having read a lot of stories
about the deadly Zojila.
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13th September 2013, 18:55 #2
Sathya_scBHPian
Join Date: Apr 2007Location: ChennaiPosts: 500Thanked: 448 Times
View My Garage
Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Day 7: 27-08-2013: Srinagar Kargil:
Beauty.. Beauty and Beauty everywhere from now on. Did not know what to click in my camera and
what not. The drive till Sonamarg was great with good tar road and then the Zojila ascent started.
The terrain changed, the tar disappeared and it was gravel, stones and kacha road through the ascent
and descent of the Zojila pass.
The week before I had hit zojila, it has rained so heavily and with the trucks plying left, right and
center, the roads have become very uneven. Even though the Zojila was dry, it was difficult to drive
through the narrow steep ascents and the worst part was the inability to drive through the center of
the road because of the un-even roads. What the trucks have left behind is a huge mound at the
center of the road and two tracks on either side. When the Hawk tried to have its tires on either side
of the mound, the underbody scrapped like no-bodys business. It was almost impossible to drive like
that. So t he only option was to put one of the tires on the center heap and one tire on the c liff, and
drive that way for about 10-15kms and it was a scary experience. One mistake and we will have afreefall for a km or so. My wife screamed many times when my tires were on the edge of the cliff
causing some dirt and stones to roll down the mountain.
Finally, we crossed Zojila after some careful driving. We c ame to Drass and the Kargil War memorial.
What an experience it was to witness the valor and courage exhibited by our army in the Kargil war.
Had goose-bumps to see our flag hoisted high. Felt like I was in a temple and had tears in my eyes
when I read Beneath this earth, sleep the young warriors, For your tomorrow, we gave our today.
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Took time to come over that feeling and I salute our Army and the Nation Jai Hind.
Post Drass (Second coldest place on earth where temperature dips to -60C during winter), we were
comfortably at Kargil by 4 PM and the rest of the day, we relaxed. The feeling of Drass and the
sacrifice our Army has done will be something that MYSELF AND MY WIFE WILL REMEMBER FOR OUR
LIFETIME.
Day 8: 28-08-2013: Kargil - Leh:
Again, beautiful is the only word. In about three hrs, we were at Lamayuru, we had our lunch at
Lamayuru and visited the Lamayuru Gompa. We saw the Lamayuru moonlands and proceeded towards
Leh.
We reached Leh comfortably by 4PM and the roads were just awesome. Hats off to BRO for such
beautiful tarmac from Lamayuru till Leh. The best part was traffic was very sparse and most of the
time it was me, my wife and the Hawk travelling with nature, alone. It was nothing short of being out
of theworld. At Nameeka La I felt a little dizzy and breathless due to high altitudes but the body
coped up after some time. We crossed Fotu La at 13500ft to reach Leh finally. The moment our car
entered Leh What a feeling it was when we turn back and look at the 4500kms long journey from
Chennai. We were emotional and over-joyed but realized only 1/3 of the journey has been done and
we still have a long way to go.
In Leh, took the Hawk for a car wash and it was all spanking new. It was a peaceful night and two
days of rest at Leh with some local sight-seeing only. We wanted to take it easy on our health and
give enough time to acclimatize.
Day 9/10: 29-08-2013 and 30-08-2013: Leh:
First, we obtained permits from the DC office for our internal Leh circuits. Post permits, we did Hemis
monastery on 29th, Leh Palace and Shanthi Stupa on 30th. Both were very light days with lots and
lots of rest. We took time to digest the beauty of the place and the fact that we were at a place
which we have been dreaming for close to 2 yrs now.
Also, one of my office friends Kannan Srinivasan joined by air at Leh directly. The plan was to have
him in my Hawk during the internal circuits and then drop him back at Delhi airport during our return
journey. From 31st August , the internal Leh circuits bagan with the first day hitting the Highest
Motorable road in the world (atleast on paper) The Khardung La.
Day 11/12: 31-08-2013 and 1-09-2013: Leh Turtuk - Leh (Via Khardhung La):
Got up by 5am in the morning and started our journey towards the last northern most village of India
before Pakistan TURTUK. This was previously known as Balchistan and this village was a part of
Pakistan before the 1972 Indo-Pak war. Another point to note was, this village was opened for tourism
from 2010 onwards and only a handful visit this place.
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As per lonely planet, Turtuk is one of the SEVEN PLACES ON PLANET EARTH THAT ONE MUST VISIT
BEFORE HE/SHE DIES and the village stands true to that statement. What a beautiful village it was.
The journey began at 6am with the first milestone The K TOP at 18000 ft. Did Khardung La with
some difficulty. The ascent and descent were steep with no roads for almost 20kms. More importantly
the roads were too rocky with some water crossings here and there. The Hawk scrapped its belly a
few times but nothing alarming. What is more important is the way, the terrain changes.
First was Snow covered peaks before Khardungla, then it was rocks, rocks and rocks everywhere until
we reached Khardung La, then the high altitude desert with sand dunes until horizon at Hunder
followed by greens, greens and greens everywhere at Turtuk. One must be there to realize how the
terrain changes and we were simply speechless. We were in a state of shock with emotional tears in
our eyes.
By 5PM we were at Turtuk at a Holiday camping site and it was just beautiful. We went for an evening
walk for a few kms and also to the actual LAC just 5kms before Pakistan.
During the evening walk, we discovered a hidden jewel, a small village which looks like a beehive so
cohesively knitted and a community of people who are so friendly and self contained by all means.
That evening which we spent in TURTUK is by far the best evening I had spent in my lifetime. Next
day, it was the return journey to Leh with another run to conquer Khardung LA (K TOP) again.
13th September 2013, 19:09 #3
Sathya_scBHPian
Join Date: Apr 2007Location: ChennaiPosts: 500Thanked: 448 Times
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Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Day 13: 02-09-2013: Leh Pangong TSO (Via Chang La):
It was again an early start where we began our journey to visit the world famous Lake Pangong that is
140kms long and massive. Portions of the lake are in India with a fair amount of the lake extending into
China.
The drive through Chang La was tough because of the loose rocks all over the roads and some deep
water crossings which had good currents. By 11AM we crossed Chang La with the Hawk taking some
beatings but managing them quite well. Chang La is at 17500 ft above the sea level.
We had stocked 40L of Diesel since we have to do some 800kms before we could see another fuel
pump or for that fact some form of human habitation. To our bad luck, the diesel started leaking
because of pressure differences and we had to work hard to tightly seal the Diesel can caps. We tried
to seal it with rubber Balloons and viola, it worked. We reached Pangong by 2PM and what a gorgeous
site to see the mighty and massive Pangong Lake. We were overjoyed and had some fun without
realizing whats in store for us that night.
Took a lot of photographs and exerted us through the evening. As night started to set in, it started to
become cold and the high altitude had already started to hit us badly. Both myself and my wife were
gasping for breath and the night was close to being miserable. We had to take a stroll during the night
in that cold weather to get some air / oxygen. We decided to open the windows even though it was
spine chilling cold outside. We did not sleep well and it was horrible to be in that altitude actually. But
the evening fun compensated for the nights misery. We were counting minutes before the sun could
rise so that we can proceed further.
I was thinking about the next two days where we will be staying at even higher altitudes than
Pangong. But again, we wanted to take it as it comes and not worry too much.
Day 14: 03-09-2013: Pangong TSO - Hanle (Via Chushul and Tsaga LA):
This was the day we have been waiting for since we read that we will be travelling along the banks of
the Pangong Lake for around 40kms and it was nothing short of unexplainable beauty. But, mountains
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and nature had different plans for us.
We headed out of Pangong by 6AM and a few kms at the banks of the Pangong lake, there were no
tracks or tyre marks.. All we could see was Pangong Lake that has eaten into the roads / tracks that
we were supposed to take. We turn back to see no living soul until we could see and to our left-hand
side is our neighboring country. Fear started to creep in and we were thinking, should us re-tract. But
something within us was urging to go and not to step back even if it means trouble and more trouble.
We decided to figure out our own routes and started driving or rather sailing through the water
crossings of the mighty Pangong. It was ONE OF THE SCARIEST EXPERIENCES in my life to travel near
the border in a route that changes its form and shape minute after minute. There were rocks, pebbles,
loose sand and water. And more importantly not a single human being till our eyes could see. With so
much fear, we crossed Chushul and at one point my vehicle bogged down in loose sand / a water
crossing.
We thought, it is the final nail in the coffin and our faces turned pale and the fear increased as we see
around - mountains, mountains and mountains surrounding us. And on one side, we knew that our
neighboring country will be watching us. We almost thought we are dead and started to think about
our families at this point. I got down from the car, reversed it with much difficulty and tried again and
the worst happened again. The Hawk went down the loose sand further deep. Me and wife were
panicking. Again I took some courage, got down, carefully studied the area where my Hawk was stuck,
reversed it and floored the throttle. The vehicle took some serious hits, but managed to limp through
the water crossing and what a sigh of relief. We were out of that deadly trench/water crossing.
We crossed Rezang La war memorial, but was not in a mood to stop or take pictures since the feeling
of fear overtook everything else. From that point there was no stopping, I was on a pedal to metal
drive with my Hawk flying (literally) and skidding in the loose sand and t raveling in all direct ions. We
went mad and were just running for safety literally. I was maintaining 100-120 in those pebble / rock /
sandy tracks and for some-one who would have watched us from a chopper, it would be like a Car
flying through the barren mountains, MI style.
At many points we had to remember, DO NOT TAKE THE TRACKS TO OUR LEFT and WE WILL BE IN
OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTRY WITHIN A FEW KMS
God knows how we reached Tsaka and Loma. It was the most deadly drive and God saved us from
being stuck without help, food and basic needs in that no mans land. If there is a time machine, I
would have gone back and taken the alternate route to Hanle. But now, its a thing of the past and I
do not know whether it was courage or insane stupidity to have done that route. Some-how we
managed to cross it and reach Hanle by 4PM. Hanle is a village where there is Worlds second highest
observatory and a village where no photography is allowed because of the political sensitiveness.
There was only one home stay and the village itself had only a few houses here and there. We
checked in and took some rest.
We went to the observatory in the evening and the place was f reaking cold. The guys over there
explained about the telescope very enthusiastically and we learnt quite a few things. We c ame back
and crashed in that cold remote place where the temperature would have been sub-zero easily. Next
day morning woke up by 7AM and started our journey towards TSO MORIRI.
Day 15: 04-09-2013: Hanle TSO Moriri:
Started early in the morning and nothing major other than the last 20kms of dirt tracks from Kiagar
TSO to TSO Moriri. Had some serious fun driving fast in those dirt tracks and drifting there, is serious
fun. Reached TSO Moriri by noon itself.
One of the coldest nights I have spent in my life with the recorded temperature as low as -5C that
day. We were at a tent without electricity and struggling to cope up with the biting cold. Was very
difficult to take that chillness without a heater. Some how managed to stay there at that
temperature, but the beauty of the lake surpassed all odds we crossed. We spent some quality time
there even though it was biting cold and the day passed where we started to think about our descentfinally.
Day 16: 05-09-2013: TSO Moriri Key Long (Via Polokong La and TSO Kar):
Again a route less travelled and less preferred, about 100+kms of no road with dirt tracks all over and
very steep inclines. At one point, my Hawk lost traction and went over a rock and landed with a big
thud. Got down and inspected the left front wheel and to our luck nothing bad was visible. Crossed
Polokong La with some difficulty and then came to TSO Kar, the little jewel. Spent some time there,
before we proceeded towards Debring, Sarchu, Jispa and Keylong.
The journey was nothing less than being a VERY TIRESOME drive for close to 14hrs completely in
Ghats. Extremely bad sections with my Hawk taking bad underbelly hits every now and then. My
shoulders pained and after some effort we were finally at Key Long.
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Day 17: 06-09-2013: Key Long - Manali (Via Rohtang La):
We started by 7am from Keylong and thought it was going to be a very peaceful drive with only
110kms to Manali. But rains played spoil sport. While we were heading towards Rohtang La, we were in
for a rude shock. Slush and mud that was atleast 2 feet deep. Every other vehicle including the local
taxis were struggling to cross those sections.
But to our luck we saw three Indian Oil tankers behind my Hawk and a plan was strategized. The plan
was to leave two Indian Oil tankers ahead of my Hawk while I get sandwiched between the second
and the third tanker. This actually helped us in two folds. The first two tankers ironed out the roads
for us aiding in some traction and the third tanker behind us ensured we gained enough respect fromthe local taxis; they waited until the 3rd tanker passed and in that process we also cleared the
incoming traffic!
However, in all this my Hawk took ample underbody hits, pretty bad ones in some stretches. But luckily
we c rossed the sect ions without a break down.
After these bad sections, I lost patience and stepped on the pedal (a little rash). An incoming lorry
banged at the rear part of my Hawk and dislodged my car. I believe my car moved a few inches off the
road due to the impact. I got down in despair thinking that I have lost the complete rear of my Hawk.
To my surprise, only the rear mud flaps were broken and the tires have taken the brunt. Thanked God
and the lesson learnt was, never lose patience in the mountains and this could prove to be a costly
affair.
After all this drama, we reached Manali by 2PM and stayed at Club Mahindra, Manali. Got some good
rest and mean while I enquired about the nearest Mahindra Service Station and found out that it is in
Mandi 110kms away from Manali. The day passed and I had some good sleep and rest. In the
morning, we were all set to hit Chandigarh from Manali. Also, the plan was to have a quick check ofthe Hawk at Mandi Mahindra Service Station.
Day 18: 07-09-2013: Manali Delhi (Via Chandigarh):
The next day started late for us and we left Manali by 9AM. It was hills, hills and hills all along for us
until about 3PM. Amidst this, we took a 1hr pit stop at Mandi to do a general check up of the vehicle
and in the process also changed the broken mud flaps. I also noticed less air pressure at the rear left
tire and took it to the nearest puncture shop to find out a nail in the tire. Good that I noticed it; had
the puncture repaired and the Hawk was all set for the drive towards Chandigarh.
We reached Chandigarh by 6PM and thought we can proceed towards Delhi. We reached Delhi by 9PM
but the Delhi traffic again ensured we do not get to the hotel in a sane time. We reached the hotel by
11PM after much struggle. It was a very long and tiring day. Took some rest in Delhi and got ready for
the drive towards Agra the next day. At the end of this day, my friend took the return flight to
Chennai from Delhi.
Day 19: 08-09-2013: Delhi Agra Jaipur:
We woke up at about 6AM and got ready by 7AM and then a plan came in the mind. Why dont we
visit Hotel Saravana Bhavan and have some south Indian delicacies. We did not think twice and went
there and had a superb south Indian breakfast Pongal, Vada, Ghee roast and what not..
We proceeded to Agra through the Yamuna Expressway. But the sad part was not to speed beyond
120 in the expressway. I engaged the Hawk in cruise and vividly remember that I disengaged cruise
only 3-4 times; rest of the drive, the Hawk was cruising happily at 120km/hr with true speed around
114km/hr.
Reached Agra as per schedule and visited the Taj Mahal. Spent solid 3 hrs in the Taj Mahal and
mesmerized by the beauty of Taj and Shahjahans love for Mumtaz. We started from Agra by 4PM andreached Jaipur by about 8PM. Finished our Dinner and crashed at one the Highway motels.
Day 20: 09-09-2013: Jaipur Valsad:
The day started early and about 7am, we left Jaipur and it was a non-stop drive towards Vapi. Just
about 20kms before Vapi we stayed in a Hotel at Valsad. Enroute, we met another FIAT Linea (Biju
Jose and team) which was heading towards Leh and had a quick chat with them. We reached the
hotel by around 9PM and had some good rest.
Day 21: 10-09-2013: Valsad Hosur:
We started by 6.30am in the morning fresh as a morning dew and thought of halting at Tumkur. But,
was able to do good speeds even though it was raining very heavily in some sections.
Crossed Mumbai and Pune and headed straight towards Hosur.. Did 1301kms in flat 15hrs My Fastest
and longest drive ever. The Hawk behaved like a freight train pulling endlessly and we were at Hosur
sharp by 9.30PM. Had some good south Indian food and crashed at Hosur.
Day 22: 11-09-2013: Hosur Chennai:
The next day was a very emotional day when we reached our home after some 10000 odd kms. My
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mother and my daughter were in tears seeing us. We too were very emotional turning back and looking
at the journey we made.
As I narrate this, it feels crazy and even weird to have done this trip all the way from Chennai. But as
driving enthusiasts we all truly LIVE TO DRIVE and we stand by it.
I dedicate this trip to all the martyrs of the Kargil War who sacrificed their life for our country and for
our well-being. Jai Hind.
13th September 2013, 19:10 #4
DeClutch 4X4BHPian
Join Date: Jul 2010Location: BengaluruPosts: 82
Thanked: 47 Times
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Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
WOah!! Big Thanks for bringing Leh experience t o my desktop and i just read in one GO!
Cheerful writing keep it coming and more photos please. Kudos to your wife for making it along with
you to LEH
Congratulations on making ladakh trip happen, inspiration drawn and have already forwarded this link to
my wify to draw some inspiration ! LOL
Best regards,
Deepak Shivanna
13th September 2013, 19:19 #5
rajshenoySenior - BHPian
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: bangalorePosts: 1,437Thanked: 367 Times
Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Wow.. any more pics ? I was lost in staring pics of XUV500. must have been a hell of a journey. And if
i am not wrong you were the solo driver !!
Not everyone gets so lucky to achieve such a feat.
13th September 2013, 19:31 #6
arepalli99NewbieJoin Date: Feb 2007Location: BangalorePosts: 17Thanked: 3 Times
Sathya- congratulations on completing the journey.
This is a very well written travelogue and amazing pics.
I agree with you about it being about the journey and the experience rather than a race to a
destination.
Last edited by GTO : 14th September 2013 at23:13. Reason: Typo
13th September 2013, 19:41 #7
lifebuoyBHPianJoin Date: Dec 2010Location: DelhiPosts: 170Thanked: 82 Times
Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sathya_sc
I dedicate this trip to all the martyrs of the Kargil War who sacrificed their life for our
country and for our well-being. Jai Hind.
Thanks for such a beautiful narrative coupled with some exotic photographs, Sathya. I'm sure you
must have enjoyed every km of the drive. The trip to Ladakh is my dream drive, don't know when I'll
be able to make it ! Why do you call it face off ?
Could you pl give us a snapshot of the vehicle performance ? Did get some idea like underbelly rubbingand taking hits, broken mud flaps, etc. Problems faced, if any ? What FE did you get in the ghats ?
What is the main reason for the fatigue / tiredness you have mentioned on most days ? (Long driving
hours ?)
CONGRATS ! You will remember and cherish this trip all your life. Like I remember my Bangalore -
Hasimara t rip in my Indica in 2002.
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Lastly, your dedication of the trip to the Army and its martyrs is commendable. Many salutes to that
spirit.
Last edited by lifebuoy : 13th September 2013 at19:42. Reason: corre ting spelling
13th September 2013, 19:42 #8
vidyanandBHPian
Join Date: Jan 2013Location: BangalorePosts: 43Thanked: 15 Times
Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Great post Sathya. I read it all in one go.
Some of pics are simply amazing and I am not just talking of the scenery itself but the skilled capture
that made it perfect, especially the Dal Lake pics.
Great Journey Indeed and you made it sound like it was so easy
13th September 2013, 19:56 #9
ark_roverNewbieJoin Date: Sep 2013
Location: BangalorePosts: 11Thanked: Once
Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Wow! Mind-blowing travelogue and amazing pictures, actually I am running out of superlatives to
describe the thrill and joy I experienced while reading your post.
Many Thanks! You are a true inspiration!
13th September 2013, 19:59 #10
Sathya_scBHPian
Join Date: Apr 2007Location: ChennaiPosts: 500Thanked: 448 Times
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Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeClutch 4X4
WOah!! Big Thanks for bringing Leh experience to my desktop and i just read in one GO!
Thanks DeClutch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajshenoy
And if i am not wrong you were the solo driver !!
Thanks. Have taken about 16gb worth of pictures and every km after Srinagar has been recorded in a
Car DVR.
and Yes, I drove every single km in this trip - Solo Driver.
Quote:
Originally Posted by arepalli99
I agree with you about it being about the journey and the experience rather than a race to a
destination.
Thanks Arepalli99. Yes.. This is definitely not a race.. every km has to be enjoyed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifebuoy
Why do you call it face off ?
Could you pl give us a snapshot of the vehicle performance ? Did get some idea like
underbelly rubbing and taking hits, broken mud flaps, etc. Problems faced, if any ? What FE
did you get in the ghats ? What is the main reason for the fatigue / tiredness you have
mentioned on most days ? (Long driving hours ?)
Lastly, your dedicat ion of the trip to the Army and its martyrs is commendable. Many salutes
to that spirit.
Yes.. Its indeed a face-off b/w the XUV and the mighty mountains! and indeed the mountains were
merciful on the XUV.XUV did not develop any issues. It did not miss even a single beat.
Avg FE was 12.4 km/lt for the round trip.
2-3 sections of the drive made me tired. They are,
1. Tumkur - Mumbai: Because of Mumbai city traffic
2. Tso Moriri - Keylong: 14hrs of ghats was a little too much for me
3. Manali - Delhi: Delhi city traffic was horrible
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and rest of it was ok. and remember I was a solo driver all along (close to 10000kms).
Quote:
Originally Posted by vidyanand
Great post Sathya.
Thanks Vidyanand.
13th September 2013, 20:04 #11
SS-TravellerDistinguished - BHPian
Join Date: Jan 2009Location: New DelhiPosts: 5,075Thanked: 3,631 Times
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Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
One more Leh travelogue... congratulations on fulfilling your dreams and undertaking such a big trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sathya_sc
First, we obtained permits from the DC office for our internal Leh circuits.
How was the experience of procuring permits? Did you get them yourself or through an agent? And
considering that others have reported this and last year that Chushul and Hanle were off-limits for
civilians, what was your experience at the checkposts? Also, was there any interaction with the
ITBP/Army regarding carriage of GPS units, esp. at Tso Moriri?
13th September 2013, 20:10 #12
Sathya_scBHPian
Join Date: Apr 2007Location: ChennaiPosts: 500Thanked: 448 Times
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Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Quote:
Originally Posted by SS-Traveller
One more Leh travelogue... congratulations on fulfilling your dreams and undertaking such a
big trip.
How was the experience of procuring permits? Did you get them yourself or through an
agent? And considering that others have reported this and last year that Chushul and Hanle
were off-limits for civilians, what was your experience at the checkposts? Also, was there any
interaction with the ITBP/Army regarding carriage of GPS units, esp. at Tso Moriri?
Thanks SS-Traveller.
I went through an agent; but I also went along with him because Chushul route was denied for most
of them. So I went in person in case I have make a personal request. I got it without issues.
At Hanle, Cameras were not allowed.. and no problems with GPS in TSO Moriri.
And reg. Chushul route, what I heard was, some are allowed and some are not. I am not aware of the
rational though.
13th September 2013, 20:19 #13
rameshnandaSenior - BHPian
Join Date: Oct 2009Location: ChennaiPosts: 1,133Thanked: 628 Times
Wow. The most awaited travelogue is finally out. Wonderful narration coupled with beautiful
photographs. I think I badly missed this t rip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sathya_sc
It was sometime in 2011 when myself and few of my friends were in Kodaikanal and an
ambitious plan to visit Leh-Ladakh in our beloved cars from Chennai was seeded.
Wasn't this seeded at Kothagiri at the twin tree resorts?
13th September 2013, 20:41 #14
hvkumarDistinguished - BHPian
Join Date: Nov 2006Location: Mumbai
Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
Bad that one can't take photos at Hanle!
What FE did the Hawk return?
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13th September 2013, 20:51 #15
DdriveBHPian
Join Date: Jun 2013Location: ChennaiPosts: 59Thanked: 86 Times
Re: The XUV Face-off: Chennai to Leh-Ladakh: Turtuk, Pangong Tso, Hanle and Tso Morir
I've just browsed through the pictures, and yet to read the write-up.
Excellent Sir, The photos are amazing and the trip should have been awesome.
We must organize a meet-up in Chennai to share your experiences personally.
Thanks for sharing.
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